One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)

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Friday, February 08, 2013

Pelican Watching

When we spent the day at Fred Howard Beach, near Tarpon Springs, Florida, last month, one of the treats was watching the pelicans as they flew over the water, searching for a meal and diving into the water to catch it.

Cheryl - That sounds like a neat restaurant. Pelicans are very entertaining to watch.

Gail - Well, color me surprised. I didn't know there was a difference between white and brown pelicans, other than their color. Blogging is so educational. :)

Theresa - They're amazing birds...so much power and agility and grace in flight.

George - I have to confess to taking some of these pictures off the video that Doug shot. The action was too fast for the shutter speed on my camera.

Hilary - They're really interesting to watch. Sometimes a whole flock of them will go skimming, single file, just above the water. At other times, they soar and hover and dive, completely submerging. Then they raise those big wet wings and take off to do it all again.

I confess, Betsy. Some of the flying and diving pictures were taken from the video that Doug shot. The action is so fast that my camera couldn’t keep up. I thought about posting the video, but it should be shown in slow motion to get the best effect; and I don’t know how to post it in slow motion.

Linda, this must have been wonderful to watch. I wonder how it is possible that they can open their bill under water without the water causing them harm. But they swallow the fish above water, after they surface - as far as I know - so that may be the trick.

Petra - The process happens so quickly that I'm not sure when the pelican actually swallows its catch, but I suspect you're on the right track. It might be that they are able to drain the water out of the pouch before swallowing their meal, too.